Dispensing can



J. H. MILLER DISPENSING CAN June 10, 1930.

Filed Sept. 21, 1928 Patented June 16, 193% A uNir srares PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH H. MILLER, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS DISPENSING CAN This invention relates to improvements in dispensing cans having a discharge-nozzle or spout through which the contents may be discharged and the present invention is directed particularly to an improvement on the structure disclosed in U. S. Patent 1,570,270 granted to me January19th, 1926.

As stated in my said prior patent, a can embodying the features of the present invention may be utilized for dispensing various substances, but I have particularly designed it for the purpose of economically and effectively distributing liquid dressing on traveling machinery belts.

Also as stated in my said prior patent, belt dressing should be dispensed from a can which, when not in use, may be closed against the entrance of dirt or dust and be kept sufficiently tight to prevent evaporation of some of its important ingredients. The can should be provided with a nozzle that'will permit the spreading of the fluid when discharging therefrom onto a belt and a closure for the nozzle should be arranged for ready attachment to orremoval from the nozzle and also so that the same cannot be entirely detached and lost. 7

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction whereby the nozzle-closure'or cap may be held in the withdrawn position when dispensing the contents with the nozzle wide open.

Another object is to provide an improved construction of cap, cap-bar and nozzle-end whereby the cap may readily be manipulated to discharge but a small quantity of the container-contents.

' lViththese, and other invention is illustrated ing drawing, wherein,-

Fig. 1 shows a can embodying the invenobjects in view, the in the accompanytion, the same being shown in side elevation but inverted as when applying a small quantity of dressing to a belt.

Fig. 2 illustrates the device in longitudinal section and on an enlarged scale with the nozzle-cap removed and locked in the removed position to permit free discharge of the material, and

Fig. 3 shows a central vertical section through the can and nozzle with the latter detached, and the cap-bar being withdrawn from the can in order that the latter may be put in readiness for refilling. In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates the cylindrical body of the container which is presumed to be a sheet-metal can.

The head-end 11 of this can has a breast 12, with a central nipple 13 and this nipple is exteriorly threaded at 14 with coarse threads and has a central opening 15 therein.

As the breast is formed of sheet-metal, when the coarse threads let are formed on the exterior of the nipple, they produce an interior formation that is a reversal of the exterior threads but which is also a thread 14 on the interior of the nipple.

This is desirable and useful in carrying out the present invention as will presently be explained.

A nozzle 17 is provided for the can, and as shown in the drawing, this nozzle l. tapered in that it is slightly larger in diameter at the base-end than at its discharged-end.

In the base-end of the nozzle, I secure an inverted cup-like structure or cap 18 with a series of perforations 19 in its top. and a central guide-perforation 20.

The wall of this structure is internally screw-threaded so as to screw on the nipple l3, and the structure is preferably rigidly secured in the nozzle-base by soldering so as to be a permanent part of the nozzle.

A washer or gasket 21 is provided in the inverted cup-like structure or cap so as to effect a tight joint with the nipple when it seats on the fiat ledge 16.

At the smaller discharge-end of the nozzle, I provide the latter with a plurality of perforations 22 which open laterally through the side walls of the nozzle.

A closure cap 23 fits over the end of the nozzle and has a flange which snugly fits the wall of the nozzle and this cap-flange is provided with a plurality of perforations 24, which are so disposed in the flange that one or more of the cap perforations may, by slightly turning the cap, be brought into register with one or more of the perforations in the nozzle-end so that less or more of the contents of the can might be'discharged through the registering perforations when the can is tilted with the nozzle inclined downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

A stem 25, extends through the nozzle and at its outer end, this stem passes through the end wall or top of the cap 23 where it forms a loop 29 and the extreme end 30 of the stem, after forming the loop, is projected back through the cap wall. The attachment of the cap to the looped end of the stem is permanent and rotation of the loop will cause a corresponding rotation of the cap.

The innerend of the stem 25, is formed into a fiat elongated loop 28 and the length of the stem is such that when the cap is seated on the nozzle-end, the stem will extend through the tapered nozzle ,passin g through the central guide-perforation 20 of the inverted cup-like structure 18, and projecting beyond a base-end of said nozzle so that the elongated loop will have a position well below the larger base-end of the nozzle.

As explained in my said prior Patent 1,570,270, hereinbefore referred to, a greater portion of the length of the loop 28 projects at one side of the stem 25 than the portion of said loop that extends from the opposite side of said stem. In other words, this loop is so formed with respect to the stem 25 that the distance from one side 27 of the loop to the axis of the stem is greater than the distance from the opposite side 26 to said stem axis.

This prevents entire detachment of the nozzle from the can in a straight-away direction, and requires that the loop be turned to a precise position to effect detachment, thereby preventing accidental detachment and loss of the nozzle.

By turning the stem until the short side 26 of the loop can be swung out through the nippleppening 15, a ready detachment may be effected, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

In my prior patent, above referred to, I employ a straight stem, and I utilize a crossplate of such form that when the stem is drawn out to raise the cap from the nozzleend to permit the contents to be discharged, the plate will bind in the tapered nozzle and hold the cap unseated.

In actual operation, I have found it somewhat inconvenient to hold the cap unseated in this way because the cap is held centrally beyond the end of the nozzle and sometimes interferes with the proper distribution of the contents discharging from the nozzle.

In my present structure, I have improved this construction and operation, first by producing a bend 31 in the stem and omitting a cross-guide at the discharge-end of the nozzle, so that as the stem is drawn out by pulling the cap from the end of the nozzle, the

bend in the stem will direct the outer end and the cap laterally to one side of the axis of the nozzle and thus get it out of central alinement with respect to the nozzle opening, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

This lateral movement of the cap to one side of the nozzle leaves the diametricallyopposite side of the nozzle free of obstruction and the liquid may be poured from said nozzle-end and distributed without difiiculty.

I have further improved this feature of the invention in providing novel means for holding the stem and cap projected without adding any new parts and in fact eliminating the plate which I used in my prior structure to do this work.

I have found that by designing the loop so its longer side 27 will engage the inner side of the threads in the nipple that are formed on the outside of the nipple, that when the stem is drawn out by lifting the cap from the nozzle-end, and at the same time rotated, the loop on the inner end of the stem will engage the interior formation of the threads in the nozzle and thus lock the stem in the outer projected position, as shown in Fig. 2.

Not only will the loop thus hold the stem projected, but the bent condition of the stem will move the cap 23 away from the center of the nozzle-end, as shown in Fig. 2, and the flow of the contents will not be interfered with by the cap nor will the cap and stem be pushed back toward the nozzle should the cap and the loop 29 come in contact with a moving belt to which the compound is being applied.

Having 1. In a described my invention, I claim,-

dispensing can the combination with a cylindric body having a projection at I one end thereof which projection has a central stem-guide, of a tapered nozzle detachably connected at its larger end to said bodyprojection. said nozzle being open at its outer end and also having an opening in its side adjacent said end opening, a cap having a flange which fits over the end of the nozzle and covers both the end and side openings of the nozzle said cap-flange having anopen ing which when the cap is turned on the I15 nozzle may bemade to uncover the side opening of the nozzle, and a stem extending all the way through the nozzle and also through the said guide of said projection said stem extending through the cap and having its end bent back and engaging the cap to form a loop on the latter.

2. In a dispensing can the combination with a cylindric body having a projection at one end thereof which projection has a central opening, of a tapered nozzle detachably connected at its larger end to said bodyprojection and having a guide device at said larger end, a stem extending all the way through the said nozzle-guide and the nozzle and also through the said opening of said projection,said stem having a bowed longitudinal portion normally between the inner and outer ends of the tapered nozzle and a cap attached to the outer end of said bowed stem whereby when the cap is pulled from the end of the nozzle the bowed portion of the stem will cause it to move laterally from the center of the nozzle-end.

3o 3. In a dispensing can the combination with a cylindric body having a central projection at one end thereof which projection is provided with an interior screw-thread, of a nozzle detachably connected to said central projection, a cap on the outer end of the nozzle, a stem attached to the cap and extending all the way through the nozzle and into the projection on the end of the cylindric body and means at the inner end of the stem for engaging the interior threads on the bodyprojection to limit the outward movement of the stem through the nozzle and to hold the cap in an unseated position from the nozzleen In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH H. MILLER. 

